Light illuminating musical instrument



June 6, 1933. J. DE FRANCESCO LIGHT ILLUMINATING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTFiled Feb. 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, 1933. .1. DE FRANCESCO LIGHTILLUMINATING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 0a. 0 e: no 0 o 0: 0:

June 6, 1933. J. DE FRANCESCO LIGHT ILLUMINATING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTFiled Feb. 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFECE LIGHT ILLUMINATING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filedFebruary 9, 1928. Serial No. 252,962.

My invention relates to stringed device, which may or may not itself bea musical instrument, adapted to produce harmoniously varying lightefiects synchronously .with

music.

A purpose of my invention is to provide a device adapted tosynchronously Vary lighting eflects in accord with written music or asan accompaniment to music. I may use my device for the production ofharmoniously varying light effects with or without accompanying musicalsounds from the device itself operating the device as though playingmusic with an orchestra and obtaining synchronously flashing lights thatmay for example comprise the lights of an electric advertising sign.

A further purpose is to complete a lighting circuit or a lightcontrolling through a conducting string of a stringed musical instrumentduring the period that the string is depressed to determine theeffective length of the string and thereby its musical note whenvibrated.

A further purpose is to make a string or strings of a stringed musicalinstrument complete different lighting or light-controlling circuitsduring depression at correspondingly different positions that determinethe different vibration notes of the string or strings.

A further purpose is to use the frets of a banjo or other stringedinstrument as contact members in cooperation with conducting strings ofthe instrument to complete individ ual lighting or light-controllingcircuits during string depression.

A further purpose is to adapt a banjo or other stringed instrument toillumine different lights during the playing of the instrumentsynchronously with the playing.

A further purpose is to mount a multicontact member inside the annularbody of a banjo beneath the parchment face of the sounding box portionof the instrument.

A further purpose is to provide a device for illumining or flashingdifferent lights of one or more colors synchronously with music by anorchestra: for example, furnishing differently colored lighting effectssuch as are sometimes thrown on a theater stage,

throughout an auditorium, or over dance floors in public or privatedining rooms or restaurants.

A further purpose is to provide an advantageous arrangement of lightunits in or back of a light-transmitting curtain adapted to becontrolled by the operation of a stringed musical instrument.

Further purposes will appear in the speci: fication and in the claims.

I have elected to show a few only of the many different forms of myinvention, but have selected forms that are efficient and practical inoperation and which well illustrate the principles involved. 7

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a banjo embodying one portion of one formof my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken upon the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figures 1 and2.

Figure 4 is partially a top plan view of a terminal member for useinside the annular body of the banjo shown in Figures 1 to 3 andpartiallya diagrammatic view of a series of external lights controlledby the banjo through the terminal and external wiring.

Figures 5, 6 and 6a are diagrammatic views illustrating differentarrangements of lights tobe harmoniously varied by the operation of thebanjo or similar device, synchronously with music from the instrument.

Figures 7 and 7 a are diagrammatic views of some of the electricalconnections of the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 7 showingthe instrument connected to different lighting circuits while in Figure7a the instrument is connected to different relay circuits that controldifferent lighting circuits. L

Figures 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views generally similar to Figure 7 butshowing modifications that have each advantages and disadvantages ascompared to the structure shown in Figure 7.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are more complete diagrammatic views of electricalconnections that are partially shown respectively in Figures 7, 8 and 9.r.

Figures 13 and 1A are plan and front ele- U vations respectively of adetached detail.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to thedrawings.

I show one desirable embodiment of my invention in Figures 1 to 3applied to a banj o 15.

The banjo comprises a sounding box 16 having laterally extending arm 17and strings 18, 19, 20 and 21 stretched along side of one another alongthe arm and above the parchment face 22 of the sounding box.

The strings are anchored at one side of the sounding box in alinementwith the arm in forked portions 23 of a member 2a fastened to the sideof the box diametrally away from the arm.

From the individual anchor members 23 they pass under a member 25 thenceover a bridge 26 that is supported upon the parchment face 22 of the boxand stretch across a free space to a ridge member 27 near the outer endof the arm.

From the ridge member the strings pass to the usual tension pegs 28which are rotatably mounted in the outer end of the arm and serve foranchors and tension adjustment of the individual strings.

The stretched strings pass over the bridge 26 a .d over the ridge member27 in notches 29 so that the normal vibrating lengths of the strings arethe spacing between these two points, the bridge and the ridge. Thestrings lie, as usual, somewhat above the adjoining face 30 of the armand the parchment 22 of the sound box.

Frets 31 are spaced along the arm below the strings between the ridgemember 27 and the sound box, and the strings having been adjusted toproper tension are each adapted to variant notes according to theeffective lengths under vibration.

The efiective vibration length of a string is varied by depressing itinto contact with different frets, the effective length being thatbetween the bridge and the first fret that is engaged by the stringafter it passes over the bridge.

Normally a player depresses a string between any two adjacent fretsbefore and during vibrating the string and the tone of the string whenvibrated is that determined by that one of the two or more engaged fretsthat is nearest the bridge.

I show four strings and seventeen frets between the ridge member 27 andthe box and in accord with this arrangement which is of course subjectto wide variation both as to number of strings and frets, each string isadapted to vibrate at eighteen different tones correspondingrespectively to vibration lengths from the bridge to any one of theseventeen frets.

The instrument shown at a given tuning is thus adapted to play fourtimes eighteen or seventy-two different tones.

As thus described the structure is all old in the prior art.

Each of the frets has hitherto extended transversely under all thestrings of the instrument and has functioned merely to definitelydetermine the different vibration lengths of the vibrating strings.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 I use electricallyconducting frets and divide them into relatively insulated sections.Each composite fret corresponds to the old fret but is made up ofelectrical terminal sections, one section for each string, and I providean external electric lighting circuit and connection for each fretsection, adapting one or more of the lighting circuits to be closedthrough a string whenever the string engages one or more fret terminals.

I thus provide individual lighting circuits for the individual fretsections in such a way that the strings cooperate with the fret sectionsto form contact members to different lighting circuits.

In this way each string is adapted to close alternatively as manydifierent lighting circuits when depressed as there are different fretterminals.

The several lighting circuits may be provided with lights arranged in acolor scheme such that a different set of colored lights is flashed foreach fret section of the banjo arm.

It may at times be difficult or undesirable to have as many colorvariations in the lighting circuits as there are available soundvariations from the stringed instrument and for this reason I may repeatthe same lights at intervals on the same or different strings, or mayvary the intensity of lighting at intervals of the same string ordifferent strings with or without a change in colors of the bulbs.

Thus the number of colors in the light bulbs and the number of sets oflights illumined by the strings, either or both, may be much less thanthe number of tones adapted to be played by the strings, and thedifferences in the different lighting effects controlled by the samestring or different strings may exist in duration of lighting, in color,in intensity of lighting and in the location of the lights and willpreferably comprise a harmonious and pleasing variation in all of thesecharacteristics.

IVhile obviously the lighting circuit connections 32 may leave theinstrument from any suitable portion of the instrument, when theinstrument is a banjo I prefer to have the connections leave from thebottom of the body 16 in that the connections then least interfere withthe player.

In the illustration the individual wiring connections 32 to the fretsare placed in suitable grooves (which are afterward covered) in the armof the instrument, then are gathered together at a terminal member 33mounted inside the annular sounding box 16 underneath the parchmentcover of the box.

The terminal member 33, permanently mounted on the body of theinstrument, but preferably touching neither sounding box nor parchmentcover, presents socket terminals 34 to the registering plug terminals 35(Figure 4) of a cooperating external removable terminial member 36 whichcarries the leads 37 to the different lightingcircuits.

In Figure 4 the removable terminal mem ber 36 cooperating with themember 33 is adapted to make plug and socket connections between theinternal wires 32 which are permanently connected to the individual fretsections and the external wires 37 to the different sets of lights whichmay be as indicated in Figure 4 arranged so as to make up the letter,background, or border of an advertisement sign 38, intended in Figure 4to be a-conventional representation of any commercial sign made up orillumined by electric lights 39.

In Figure 4 the light bulbs 39 together making up or illumining thesign, either or both, will all have one terminal conducting board 40which is connected by wire 41 to one terminal of a battery 42, the otherterminal of the battery being connected by a wire 43 to the instrument,as to the different conducting strings of the banjo.

In the sign shown in Figure 4 the different sets of lights arecontrolled by variantly depressing the diff'erent strings of the banjo,thereby flashing the different light bulbs of the sign synchronouslywith music. These lights may be in the background, border or foregroundof the sign or may make up the letters of the sign, or be in any or allof these different arrangements sequentially or in combination.

The circuit of each fret section may inelude a number of light bulbs ineach letter of the sign, or a number of light bulbs in the background,foreground or border of the sign, and these bulbs may or may not havedifferent characteristics in the same circuit and in different circuitswith respect to color and intensity of lighting.

Preferably such variation is provided between the different lightingcircuits of the sign as will give most pleasing or most strikingappearance when the lights are operated at the banjo; depressing thestrings of the banjo in the harmonious or rhymic sequence correspondingto playing music or in conjunction with an orchestra then resulting in astriking or pleasing variation in the lighting effect of the sign. I

While in Figure 4 I have preferred to illustrate the application of myinvention to the variant illumination of a commercial sign I regard itswidest and best application in the rhythmic flashing of colored lights,synchronized with sound music, for aesthetic enjoyment.

It will be noted that, since all of the strings are electricallyconducting, the depression of a string between sections of two fretswill connect the circuits of both fret sections, ilruminating two ormore lights.

In Figure 5 I show the light bulbs 39 arranged in a ring and show thesame number of lights in the ring as there are fret section circuits inFigures 1 and 3. Each fre section is connected to a separate bulbthrough a battery, or other source of electrical. energy common to all.

In many cases it may be deemed suflicient to have fewer lights than thenumber of tones that maybe made upon the instrument and in this event thsame lighting circuit may be closed at suitably different fret sections,connected together electrically so that exactly the same lighting effectis produced when any one of a number of electrically connected frets isused to determine the tone from the banjo.

In Figure 6 I illustrate a desirable curtain 44 made up of strings 45 ofalternating'light reflectors 46 and light bulbs 39 the reflectorsconveniently comprising sections of glass tubing.

I show seventeen rows of alternating reflectors and light bulbscorresponding to the seventeen fret sections along each string of thebanjo, and show twelve light bulbs on each row. Obviously, however,there is no need for a specific relation between the num' ber of rows oflights in the curtain or the number of bulbs on each row with the numberof fret section circuits. 7

If desired the reflector elements of the curtain may be omitted or maybe placed in front of the lights so as to deflect the rays from theindividual bulbs in all directions before they reach the eye by passagethrough the reflectors.

These curtains will be particularly desirable at theaters or the like,permitting the production of unusual effects through the rythmicflashing of numerous colored light bulbs in time with the orchestramusic.

The curtain illustrated shows the same number of rows of lights as thereare fret circuits shown in Figures 1 and 10 for each string and, withthree times as many lights as the total number of fret circuits. Inaccord with this each fret circuit would probably comprise three lightswhich might or might not all be in the same row in the curtain. I

7 Obviously the electrical connections are adapted to quite widevariations without departing from my invention, and I have shown threedesirable ways of connecting an in- CTA strument such as a banjo tooperate lighting effects synchronously with music.

These three different ways of electrically wiring a stringed instrumentfor adaptation to operate lighting effects in time with music are shownfor a single string diagrammatically in Figures 7, 8 and 9 respectivelyand the same ways of wiring are indicated for four strings in Figures10, 11 and 12 respectively, except that the number of light-s is not thesame. In Figures 12 the connections from three sets of fret sections areomitted for clearness, the fourth only being shown complete.

Figures 7 and 10 illustrate diagrammatically the wiring arrangementshown in Figures 1 to 3. The four strings are electrically connected inparallel at 47 Figure 10 and to a battery 42 by a conducting wire 43.Each fret 31, Figure 7, of any wire 48 (wire 18, 19, or 21 for example)is connected by a wire 32 to asocket portion 34 in the terminal member33 that is preferably placed inside the sound box as best seen inFigures 2 and 3.

The row of connections 34, 35 is in effect a diagram indication of thecooperating terminal members 33 and 36, Figures 2, 3, and 4, which makeconnection between the instrument and the external circuit.

The external circuit wires 37 connect to the individual lights 39 on oneside and there is a common return to one side of the battery or othersource of electrical energy, and from the other side of the battery at43 to the strings of the instrument.

In Figure 10 and other diagrammatic figures I show each fret circuit asincluding two lights, but this is intended as a conventional indicationfor any number of lights desired, or groups of lights, that may all beof the same color or different colors, and all of the same intensity orof variant intensities, and that may be relatively near together or farapart.

For example each circuit may comprise a number of lights in each one ofany number of letters, or in the background, foreground, or border ofone or more advertising signs.

Vhile I show the individual circuits made up wholly of different lightsit will be understood that this is not essential and that the circuitsof different fret sections may include one or more of the same lights,perhaps illumined at different intensities in the different circuits.

In Figures 7 and 10 the frets form contact terminals that areselectively engaged by the conducting strings which are continuouslyconnected to one side of the battery.

In this arrangement two fret circuits are closed every time a string isdepressed between two successive frets so that except back of the firstfret there are two lighting circuits for each of the available tonesfrom the instrument. Thus while the string gives individual musicaltones for each position back of the individual frets the lightingeffects are in each case a combination of two circuits one of which isthat of the forward fret determining the note of the music and the otheris that of the fret just to the rear of the fret that determines themusical tone.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 8 and 11 the terminals of theindividual note circuits are plates 49 inserted under the strings in thespaces between the usual frets 50 which have no function except theusual fret function and are insulated from the plate terminals.

The individual lighting circuits are connected to the terminal members49 in exactly the same way that the individual frets were connected tothese members in the form of Figures 7 and 10 except that the terminalsare plates between the frets instead of the individual frets.

The terminal plates 49 are let into the arm 17 so as to be somewhatbelow the tops of the adjacent frets but preferably should be closeenough to alinement with the tops of the frets to insure engagementbetween string and plate Whenever the string is depressed upon thefrets.

This arrangement has What may in many cases be an advantage over that ofFigures 7 and 10 in that the lighting circuits are individual to theindividual notes of the instrument, there being one lighting circuitonly for each position of the different strings.

In the wiring arrangement of Figures 7 and 10 and also in that ofFigures 8 and 11, the conducting strings are continuously con nected toone side of a battery, or other source of electrical energy, that isconnected upon its other side through the different lighting circuits toterminals below the strings.

In this arrangement the number of contact wires that must enter theinstrument from the external circuit is one more than the number oflighting circuits, which corresponds to 69 wires between the externalcircuit and the instrument in Figures 7 and 10 and of Figures 8 and 11.

Th s number of wires may at times be desirably reduced and I showdiagrammatically in Figures 9 and 12 an arrangement that requires only alittle more than half as many wires between the instrument and theexternal circuit for the same number of lighting circuits.

The arrangement in Figures 9 and 12 entails the use of two batteries orsources of current instead of the one used in the other forms, butpermits the use of fewer connecting wires between the external circuitand the musical instrument or device, and also offers a difference fromthe structure shown in Figures 7 and 10 in that only one lightingcircuit instead of two is closed during each depression of the strings.

The wiring is shown diagrammatically in Figures 9 and 12, Figure 9showing only a single string and eight frets while Figure 12 shows fourstrings and seventeen frets.

Referring first to Figure 12 the alternate fret members 52 beginningwith the first fret 53 are conducting contact members that are normallya little below the strings and extend transversely across all of thestrings.

These long frets are divided electrically into two sets being connectedalternately to conducting wires 54 and 55 which are respectivelyconnected by conducting wires 56 and 57 to the batteries 58 and 59.

The frets intermediate the long fret members 52 are divided intosections 31 that are contact members similar to the fret sections 31 ofthe form shown in Figures 7 and 10.

The fret sections 31 are connected by wires 32 to terminal members 34and 85 and thence through wires 37 to lighting circuits, each wire 37connecting through one set of lights and the battery 58 to the wires 56and connecting through another set of lights to the battery 59 and thewire 57.

The conducting strings 18, 19, 20 and 21 are out of electricalconnection for both circuits except during the period of depression todetermine the note of the string when struck, and the current when thestring is depressed flows in the string only between the two frets thatare in simultaneous engagement by the string during the stringdepression.

It will be seen that the long frets comprise two relatively insulatedsets of contact members, the different sets being connected to differentbatteries, and that the long fret contact members of the difl'erent setsalternate so that the intermediate short fret contact members which areeach common to two circuits, are each adapted to cooperate with aportion of the string just to the rear of the fret to complete onelighting circuit and with a portion of the string just in front of thefret to complete another lighting circuit.

Throughout the specification I have used the term lighting circuit asmeaning a circuit that controls the operation of one or more lights,whether or not the lights are in the lighting circuit or in a circuitcontrolled by the lighting circuit, as by means of a suitable relay, andin most of the diagrammatic figures I show the lights actually includedin the lighting circuits.

In many cases, as where there are a great many lights operated by thestrings of the instrument there will be suitable relays 39 between thelighting circuits at the instrument and the circuits that include thelights.

I have illustrated this in Figure 7a in which the lighting circuitsexactly correspond to those of Figure 7 except that suitable relays 39replace the sets of lights 39 of Figure 7, which in Figure 7a areconnected through the different relays across 110 volt busses. It willbe seen that there is one relay 39 for each fret section circuit andthat each relay controls a 110 volt circuit through a set of lights 39.

It is obvious that in the other diagrammatic illustrations the differentsets of lights 39 may also be replaced by relays 39 that in turn controlexternal lighting circuits.

The chief'advantages of using relays are the adaptation to operate 110volt lights on ordinary 110 volt circuits, the avoidance of heavycurrents through the conducting strings of the instrument, and the verymuch smaller batteries needed when relays are used, as compared with thebatteries needed if the difierent sets of lights are in the differentfret section circuits.

I anticipate one of the widest applications of my invention will be toharmoniously vary the lighting effects on dancing floors, and the like,and illustrate this diagrammatically in Figure 6a where the lights 39are ranged around the walls of a room near the ceiling and the stringedinstrument may be used to vary the lighting effects as a coloraccompaniment to orchestral music.

I show in Figure 6a a few only of the many lights 39 that would usuallybe used when thus harmoniously varying the lighting effects on a dancingfloor.

In all of the forms, the individual sets of lights may comprise a singlelight or a number of lights that may be of the same color or differentcolors, and that may have the same intensity or different intensities,or may be placed relatively near each other or at varying distances.

It will be apparent that in all of the forms shown the lighting circuitsare completed through the depressed strings of the musical instrument ordevice.

While I have shown a banjo adapted to play music simultaneously with theharmonious variation of the different lighting effects, it is evidentthat the playing of the music may be dispensed with if desired. In thisevent the harmonious variation of the lighting effects of the rythmicflashing of electric light bulbs synchronizing perhaps with music playedby an orchestra. is secured by operating the instrument or device in thesame way that it would be operated when playing music, except that thestrumming,

.or otherwise vibrating the strings to give the musical tones would beomitted.

The player of the harmonious variation .in the lighting and coloreffects or the 'rythmic flashing of electric light bulbs could either befrom the reading of musical notes or could be an accompaniment of musicplayed upon other musical instruments and operated in the same way thata musical accompaniment would be operated.

While I have illustrated my device applied to a banjo, it is adapted toany musical instrument having conducting strings, irrespective ofwhether or not the instrument has frets adjoining the .strings for usein determining the vibration tones of the strings. If there are nofrets, the instrument is provided with suitable contact members atspaced intervals along the strings, as in the structure shown in Figures8 and 10.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modificationswill doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art to meetindividual whim or particular need and I claim all such in so far asthey fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In using a plurality of electrical lighting circuits and a musicalinstrument having electrically conducting frets and an electricallyconducting string, the novelty which consists in simultaneouslycontrolling the lighting effects of the circuits and the notes from thestring by depressing selectively variant portions of the string intocontact with corresponding frets and completing a lighting circuitthrough the portion of the string depressed.

2. In an instrument for harmoniously operating the different lights of aseries of lights, an electrically conducting string, a plurality ofelectrically conducting frets, and a series of open electric lightingcircuits terminating at the respective frets and string and openbetween, adapted to be selectively closed through the string bydepressing variant portions of the string.

3. In an instrument for harmoniously operating the different lights of aseries of lights, a plurality of electrically conducting strings, aplurality of electrically conducting frets and a series of open electriclighting circuits including lights adapted to be closed through twocircuits by depressing variant portions of the different strings intocontact with adjoining frets.

4. A stringed musical instrument having a conducting string, a series ofopen electric lighting circuits each containin a light, a series ofelectrically conducting frets, one in each of the respective circuitsadapted to he closed selectively by depressing different portions of thestring and arranged along the string so that different circuits areclosed when the different portions of the string are depressed and twocontacts can be closed by one depression of the string.

5'. A stringed musical instrument having a plurality of conductingstrings each adapted to produce different musical tones when depressedat different portions of its length and vibrated, in combination with aseries of open electric lighting circuits and electrically conductingfret sections insulated from each other and located at intervals alongthe lengths of the strings, one in each circuit, adapted to be engagedselectively by the depression of the different portions of the differentstrings when determining the different tones of the strings.

6. In an instrument for harmoniously operating the different lights of aseries of lights, a plurality of conducting strings, a series of fretsbeneath and adapted to be selectively engaged by the strings and eachmade up of relatively insulated electrically conducting'sectionsindividual to the strings, a source of electrical energy having twoterminals, electrical connections between one of the terminals and thestrings and other electrical connections from the other terminal throughdifferent lights to the different sections.

7. In an instrument for harmoniously op erating the different lights ofa series of lights, a plurality of conducting strings, a series ofconducting fret sections spaced along beneath the strings adapted to beselectively engaged by the strings by depressing selective portions ofthe strings, a source of electrical energy having two terminals,electrical connection between one terminal and the strings, a pluralityof electric lights, and electrically parallel connections from the otherterminal through the different lights to the respective fret sections.

8. In an instrument for harmoniously operating the different lights of aseries of lights, two different sources of electrical energy, aconducting string, a series of fret members along and beneath the stringcomprising alternate members that are alternately in connection with thedifferent sources, and intermediate fret members each connected throughone or more lights to each of the sources.

9- In an instrument for harmoniously operating the different lights of aseries of lights, two different sources of electrical energy, aplurality of conducting strings, a series of fret members beneath thestrings comprising alternate members that are alternately in connectionwith the different sources and each adapted to be engaged by any one ofthe strings, and intermediate fret members each comprising a series offret sections that are relatively insulated and connected throughdifferent lights to each of the sources.

10. A banjo having a body and electrical connections adapting it toharmoniously operate the different lights of a series of lightsincluding electric lead wires, a common termi nal thereof in the body ofthe banjo, and a cooperating removable terminal member in the body andconnected to individual lighting circuits controlled by the operation ofthe banjo.

11. A musical instrument having electrically conducting strings, aplurality of contacts for each string, illuminating lights about a room,circuits including at least one light in each circuit and having commonconnection, a number of them with each string and individual connectionsfrom the particular circuits to separate contacts.

12. A banjo having metallic strings connected at one end to the battery,a plurality of metallic frets upon the banjo separated into sectionsinsulated from each other, one for each string, a separate circuit fromthe battery to each fret section and distinguishing lights in thedifferent circuits for energization when the strings engage thecorresponding fret sections.

13. A banjo having frets and metallic strings, a battery connecting withall the strings, an individual lighting circuit corresponding to eachstring at each fret length and contacts beneath the strings and betweenthe frets connected in the circuits and adapted to energize one circuitfor each string depression at each fret.

14. A stringed instrument having metallic strings, contact devices bywhich contact is made with depression of the strings, individualcircuits including the contacts and portions of the string, lights fedby the circuits and relays by which the lights are controlled byenergization of the circuits.

JOHN DE FRANCESCO.

